"Ah. The belly of the beast," Lex said, clapping his hands together as he regarded Claire in the midst of all her odds and ends, getting ready for the party at Wayne Manor. "In romcoms, this is the point where the man usually starts to panic."

Lex considered it his right to move around as he pleased in his own home, and as such, felt no compulsion to knock before entering the guest suite, over to where Claire had situated herself in front of the bathroom mirror with an assortment of beauty products strewn before her. She looked into the mirror to see Lex over her shoulder. She bristled slightly at his sudden entrance, putting down the mascara wand she had just finished using and turning around to face him.

It was lucky that she was, at the very least, still clothed and not getting dressed yet - this strange arrangement of staying in the guest suite for the past couple of days with Lex coming and going as he pleased had resulted in a few near-misses, but so far nothing inherently embarrassing. Or incriminating. It was simply a relief not to go back to her apartment and have to worry about making excuses for herself just yet, though she knew that at some point it would be coming, and the comeuppance would perhaps not be something to look forward to.

The insinuation of a romantic comedy - of a romance of any kind, really - did not evade Claire's notice, but she ignored as she did all of the less-than-subtle messages Lex had continually dropped in the past couple of days. Instead, she tilted her head to one side, looking him over with an irked eyebrow.

"Shouldn't you be getting dressed too?" she asked. Lex reached into the back pocket of his jeans and brandished his phone, waving it gently in Claire's direction.

"I'm quite quick, unlike you," he said knowingly, glancing pointedly at the mountain of products that were apparently required in order for a woman to get ready for anything. "I'm waiting for an important phonecall. After this shindig at Wayne Manor, we're catching a jet. You and I have a date."

"A jet? A date?" Claire asked, her brow furrowing in confusion. "Lex, where are we -"

"There's a suite in Central City with our name on it, and a reservation for ten P.M. sharp at the nicest restaurant in town," he said with a knowing grin - but he clearly caught the suspicion in Claire's face at the mention of Central City. "Problem, my sweet?" he said in an almost condescending tone. "Paris and Venice and New York - all of them are so terribly cliche. Terribly cliche," he repeated, leaning a hand on the edge of counter so again, he was hovering over her, his eyes briefly roving over her face. "It would be an insult to you if I-"

"I think it's a little unnecessary to lie to me at this point, Lex," Claire interrupted with raised eyebrows - and Lex decided now that he very much preferred hearing his first name than his last when it came from her mouth. Mister Luthor had such a distinct coldness to it, especially coming from her. Just the word Lex rolling off of her tongue was melodic and warm and vulnerable. Emotive. Real. "If you have business in Central City, then far be it from me to stop you, but don't act like it isn't obvious."

Lex's first instinct was to pull back in response to having been called out, but only allowed himself a couple inches of retreat before he regained composure, again leaning in close to Claire's face and tilting his head to one side, reaching up with his free hand and gently tapping the center of her forehead with the tip of his index finger.

"I do like them clever."

He lingered for a few brief seconds in intense eye contact before pulling back, smoothing out the front of his shirt and relishing the fact that a brief blush had crept into Claire's cheeks. Whatever the game was between the two of them, he was clearly winning - because this was the way he liked her. Sharp, witty, but thrown off by him just enough that she was not completely in control. To Lex, she was perfect this way. The smirk remained plastered across his face as he turned on his heel to leave, pausing in the door way to casually add as he looked over his shoulder, "Wear the blue one. Definitely wear the blue one."

This was one of the few things that genuinely made Claire bristle. The blue one in question - a one-shouldered chiffon dress that draped loosely and fell to just above her knees - was laid out on the bed for the very reason that she had already chosen it, and yet now that Lex was directing her to do so as though he were the one in control of the decision was enough to make her change her mind.

She would most certainly not be wearing the blue one. Once Lex had left the room, as petty perhaps as it was, she hung the red dress back up in the closet and instead pulled out a deep purple dress - again, lace, with sleeves, stopping on the no man's land of leg between tasteful and tempting.

However, when she made it out to the main foyer to meet Lex in order to get going, he simply smirked again and cocked his head to one side. After a few seconds of pause, Claire glanced him over and realized that he, too, was wearing a purplish shirt with his suit - royal purple, no tie. He gave a brief, slightly nasal laugh at the sight of her, crossing his arms and giving a smug, approving nod.

"I knew you'd pick that one."

He offered his arm tauntingly, knowing full well that he'd just flustered her and she would have no inclination to take his arm. Claire let out a small huff and strode past him, out the door towards the car. Lex knew that she found this power struggle infuriating, but firmly believed as well that she wouldn't be engaging in it at all if some part of her didn't find amusement from it as well.

A part of him actually wanted her to be getting some amusement from it, because it improved his chances of keeping whatever this was up for a longer time.

The drive to Gotham City, out to the outskirts where Wayne Manor lay, was relatively uneventful. Claire took great pains to avoid looking at Lex, who seemed happy even to let her squirm in silence, knowing that the events of the past few days were still percolating between them even when they didn't speak. He spared a few approving glances in her direction when she opened her window just enough to let a small gust of air in, blowing her dark locks around her face. Knowing full well her role, however, when they pulled into the long driveway of Wayne Manor, she waited for Lex to come around to the passenger side and open the door for her, taking his arm.

She was growing more and more complacent with this - and here, even more than usual, because being the quiet object of gossip was better than being an active scandal, which was the inevitable end if she attempted to go against the facade that Lex was very much set upon. It simply wasn't worth it.

"Claire! Claire, you made it!"

Claire had to admit that she barely recognized Dr. Thompkins without her labcoat, without her hair tied back into a kempt bun. She was even more surprised when the older woman, who had evidently already had a glass of champagne or two, opted to lean in for a hug rather than shake Claire's hand. "And - Mister Luthor, a pleasure to have you," she added, still smiling, but far less energetic.

"Mister Luthor, this is Doctor Leslie Thompkins," Claire said politely, now starting to feel the weight of her two worlds colliding. "Doctor Thompkins -"

"Leslie, of course!" Lex said warmly, reaching out to heartily shake the woman's hand. "Big fan. Your work with the urban poor in Gotham is outstanding. Outstanding," Lex said with a wide grin. "Huge undertaking, taking on a second clinic in Metropolis though. Enormous. I can't imagine anyone pulling it off without the ability to be in two places at once."

"Oh, Mister Luthor - I have no intention of running two clinics. I'm close to retirement myself," she said with a laugh, waving her hand dismissively. However, despite Dr. Thompkins' calm reaction, Claire's body tensed, and Lex's eyes momentarily flitted in her direction. "We're still hoping that Claire will come onboard with us full-time soon, but it seems that she has... other priorities. I'm guessing that priority would be you, Mister Luthor."

Something about the statement seemed to throw Lex off, forced him to lose focus. He'd not thought a great deal about what Claire's interactions at the clinic must have been like, but he did realize that with his demands of her, other work clearly could not have her undivided attention.

He also knew that working the clinic was her dream - the dream she'd harbored ever since her father's passing. It was, as silly as he found it, her greatest ambition, and her response to being handed this dream on a silver platter, it appeared, had been only lukewarm. Because of him. He'd observed her compliance. He'd relished his control over her. But he hadn't realized that her compliance was very much a choice that she made of her own free will.

Doctor Thompkins, being a guest of honor, could not stay long with any individual group of guests and as such was soon whisked away when greeted by another attendee with whom neither Lex nor Claire were acquainted. With Claire still on his arm, Lex made his way into the main foyer of Wayne Manor - already, he found himself eyeing the home in distaste, even if only for the sheer fact that it belonged to Bruce Wayne and in Lex's mind, this entire event had been orchestrated to upstage him. Unconsciously, as Claire had her arm gently looped through his, he held her arm a little closer to him as though tightening his hold on her gave him some sense of security as he walked into a place he perceived as a lion's den. Claire immediately noted on his face the look of agitation, of paranoia. His eyes flitted around, as though expecting someone to sneak up on him.

"It's not too late to just go home," Claire said quietly, hardly audible and barely moving her mouth as she spoke, instead opting to lean in closer to his ear in what to the unaware bystander looked like an intimate gesture. "We don't need to be here if you -"

"We do, Claire. We absolutely do," Lex interrupted. Immediately, as he continued scanning the room, his eyes locked onto another figure, surrounded by people. Bruce Wayne - the master of the house. That was the man he was here to see.

"Excuse me," Bruce said, raising his hands and excusing himself from the guests he had been speaking to and immediately making his way through the crowd to where Lex and Claire were standing. "Mister Luthor."

Claire noticed that when the two men shook hands in greeting, there was an unspoken hostility that Claire attributed merely to the fact that Mr. Wayne was encroaching upon Lex's territory in Metropolis. As businessmen. What more could it have been?

The sharp glare only died out of Bruce's eyes when he regarded Claire, relaxing his posture only slightly and reaching out to shake her hand. "And Miss Branigan, of course. I very much appreciate you bringing Mister Luthor out this evening - I was worried that we wouldn't be... graced with his presence."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world, Mister Wayne. Always been a fan of all of your... endeavors," Lex said with a vague smirk, his gaze flitting towards Bruce's hand closed around Claire's as though even this were an act to be suspicious of. "We won't be long, I'm afraid. I have a prior engagement elsewhere - just couldn't bear the thought of being expected and not making an appearance."

"Well, in that case, I'd like you to meet someone - one moment, excuse me." Bruce took a step back and glanced around the room until he managed to lock eyes with an individual lingering near the appetizer table - a young man with dark hair and a seemingly permanent toothy grin as he interacted with the others in the room while walking over. "This is Barry Allen. Central City Police," Bruce said, inviting the man into their midst to introduce him. Lex tensed at the sight of the man who was slightly younger than himself - likely about Claire's age. He'd seen him before - even though all he'd seen of him was a blurred piece of footage, Lex knew a face when he saw it. The metahuman from the convenience store.

Bruce Wayne had found him.

"I wanted the both of you to meet him - Mister Luthor, Miss Branigan," Bruce said, gesturing at each member of the pair in turn. "Part-time consultant for one of Wayne Enterprises' newest ventures. Barry's a forensic scientist with the Central City PD -"

"Junior forensic scientist," Barry chuckled, scratching the back of his neck with one hand while he reached out to shake Claire's hand with the other with a frank, boyish grin spreading over his face. "In other words, the poor schmuck who picks up everyone else's coffee in the morning."

"Don't I know that struggle," Claire laughed - this was, Bruce realized as he looked on, one of the few times he had seen her beaming so openly and genuinely. What caught Bruce's eye even more was that the handshake lingered, just for a second or two of a smile and shared eye contact. Perfect. He had realized early on that Barry and Claire shared a lot of similarities - near the same age, the same desire to achieve and make a difference, very much the same dry sense of humor and often exhausting energy. "It's nice to meet you, Mister Allen."

"Yeah," Barry said, catching himself grinning perhaps a little too widely as he continued shaking the woman's hand. "Same, you too."

Those two seconds of contact did not evade Lex's notice either, as he made the slightest motion of bending his arm around Claire's waist the tiniest bit more so that she was pulled back closer to him, away from the upstart CSI from Central City. Barry shot Lex Luthor a look of slight confusion at the show of possessiveness over Claire, to which Lex responded with a smirk and a questioning tilt of his head that voice the unspoken question.

Do you have a problem with it?

Barry, for one, thought that Lex Luthor was batshit crazy. Did he genuinely think he was trying to flirt with a girl he'd just met, when said girl was still on the arm of another guy? He scoffed inwardly at the thought. Barry Allen had a girlfriend.

No, he corrected himself. Barry Allen had an ex-girlfriend, because when one disappeared so frequently to fight crime and did not disclose the fact that they were a crime fighter, they came off very much as an uncaring flake and a very bad boyfriend. Ex-girlfriend. His expression fell and his stomach sank at the thought of Iris, who deserved better. Much better.

"Everything okay?"

Claire's voice lilted gently as she looked at Barry with her brow furrowed slightly in concern, and only then did he realize that he had spaced out momentarily, just long enough for his silence to be noticed. He cleared his throat and laughed, waving his hand dismissively. "One two many glasses of champagne on an empty stomach. Sorry," he laughed nonchalantly, waving his hand in a dismissive gesture.

"Anyway," Bruce interrupted, taking a drink from his own champagne glass and shooting Lex a glance that suggested there would be something behind this casual conversation after all, "Mister Allen is just the newest addition to my... consultant team," Bruce pointed out with a smirk. "We're, how would you put it? Up to all sorts of no good?"

"Is that so?"

Claire tensed slightly when Lex plucked a champagne glass from the tray of one of the passing waiters and took a drink from it himself, but knew not to try and stop him from drinking it. She could handle him if the need arose.

"Very much so," Bruce continued, shifting his weight into a stance of comfortable authority, well aware of the control he now had over the situation. "I know they're around here somewhere. You might catch a few familiar faces, Mister Luthor."

And with a paranoid, sweeping scan of the room that took only a matter of seconds, Lex managed to point out immediately the faces he had seen before - the faces he had actively sought out before. Diana Prince. Arthur Curry. Claire felt the hand that Lex had on her lower back immediately tense, the pads of his fingertips digging gently into her side, then starting to fidget slightly, the very early signs that the situation he was in was beginning to gravely agitate him. The room was far too crowded for Claire to even begin to piece together what Lex was reacting to, what was bothering him so deeply - she couldn't begin to hypothesize what about Bruce Wayne was so bad that it drove Lex clear to the brink of losing his mind, right here. His hand on her waist continued to shake slightly until she closed her hand slowly over it, giving it a slight squeeze.

"You know, I can't for the life of me remember the wine you were telling me I just had to try. You remember, don't you?" Claire piped in immediately, turning slightly so she was facing Lex with his arm still draped around her waist. "You have to help me pick it out. I'm hopeless with these things," she said. Bruce Wayne could not help the brief flicker of disbelief at the sound of a coquettish, almost simpering laugh that came from Claire's mouth. She was playing dumb for him - for Lex Luthor. Slightly surprised as well but putting on the air of flattery, Lex chuckled, taking advantage of the opportunity to gently tug her closer so that her body slightly bumped against his.

"Can't say no to this lovely lady, I'm afraid. Who can refuse a face like that - am I right?" he said with a smirk in Bruce and Barry's direction, wanting it to be nothing less than certain that in spite of whatever Bruce Wayne had offered Claire, she was with him. "Excuse us, gentlemen."

As his posture gently relaxed, he started off with Claire towards the table lined with bottles of wine, muttering almost inaudibly, "...good save, Nurse Branigan."

Barry Allen turned to look at Bruce with a disbelieving expression, raising his eyebrows slightly. "So that's the nurse," he said, gently tilting his head to one side. "She looks really deep undercover."

"I don't think it's a cover anymore," Bruce said, his jaw tightening slightly as he realized his strategically placed pawn was now no longer moving completely in step with the plans he had laid. "She's in too deep. I need you to try and get her away from Luthor. Distract her. Get her alone. I'll find a way to try and get through to her."

"This is some real James Bond material, Mister Wayne," Barry said, raising his eyebrows gently. "I don't know about this."

"Just do it."

Barry held his hands up defensively and took a step back, mouthing, okay, okay. However, within fifteen minutes of their interaction, it appeared that Lex Luthor and Claire Branigan had already slipped away from the party.

A/N's

As promised we're going to jump in a little deeper to Lex/Claire before we get into the bigger story arc, so the next couple of chapters will hopefully be posted somewhat close together, because they happen over the course of the day following the party at Wayne Manor. As always, thank you for your feedback! And if I don't get to post again before Sunday, Happy Mother's Day as well. Next chapter, we're going to Central City! Also, I made the decision to keep the story rating where it is for the time being, now that I've gotten farther into the storybuilding process. Stay tuned!

Until next time, cheers!